Troubled Memories
by mrsmalfoy18
Summary: Hermione has lost her memories. Can Draco help her get them back? Hermione/Draco pairing
1. Prologue

**A/N: Hello everyone~~ just a little something I've been working on, it will be a bit longer than a oneshot but no longer than a few chapters I expect. Let me know what you think and I'll keep adding ^.^**

She sat quietly on the London underground, reading her book silently and keeping to herself. That is until a blonde haired man stumbled into the compartment rather loudly and clumsily. Brushing himself off, he sat two rows away from her. But she hardly noticed that. She went back to her book and calmly flipped the pages, drowning in her own little world.

What was curious was that this continued to happen day after day. Finally, on the 9th day or so, she rested her book on her lap, making sure to keep its page locked in her memory so as to get back to it. She wanted to get a good look at the man who entered. As they approached the next stop, a hoard of people entered and exited like one continuous wave.

The blonde haired man entered, rather flustered, looking all around him. As his eyes found hers they locked in a bizarre sort of way. Both rapidly looked away out of sheer embarrassment. She returned to her book, cheeks reddening, as he found his way to his seat.

He looked oddly familiar to her. But for some reason she could not seem to remember. Perhaps they had met at school? No, that was impossible, she concluded upon scanning her memories again and again.

Draco silently stared at the girl reading her book on the underground. Did she really not remember anything? He silently cursed himself. Of course she didn't remember anything. Not after that terrible spell that had been cast her way during the war. Her parents had decided it best not to retrieve her old memories but to replace them with new ones. Something about the "scarring" effects of the war. Being wealthy they did it quite easily. But she deserved the right to her memories. She was entitled to remember...


	2. Chapter 1-On the Train

The girl stood at the station, waiting for her train to arrive. Something about waiting for trains always tugged at her heart. It made her excited somehow; as if something magnificent were to happen at the next destination. As the train arrived at a screeching halt, passengers clambered on and off in a frenzy. Upon entering herself, she noticed the blonde haired man was sitting in her seat.

Well, then again it wasn't really _hers._ But she had always sat there. He had seen her sitting there. She obviously sat in that seat everyday. She would be forced to sit next to blonde haired boy. What was it about him that looked so familiar? Well, nevermind that, she thought, trying to push the thought out of her mind. She subconsciously pulled her book closer to her chest as she got closer to the man sitting in her spot.

She smiled politely as she took the seat next to him, stealing a glance at his rough jawline before cracking her book open to the marked page.

"Hello." he said suddenly. So much so that it caused her to flinch. She looked up awkwardly from her book. The blonde man was so much more handsome this close up. He had stormy grey eyes that were laced with a childlike gleam. He had a sharp but pleasant nose. A nose belonging to that of an aristocrat, she made sure to note. And all of it -from his forehead to his thin lips- were annoyingly, well, _familiar._ Dear lord, she thought to herself, how long have I been staring?

"Hello." she returned, her cheeks flushing a light pink as she said so.

"I'm Draco Malfoy." he said, offering his hand and giving her a dazzling wide grin. Now she _knew_ she must have met him before. That smile- only one person could pull of a smile like that. But who was he? The image of the smile was there, in her mind, but everything around it was blurry, locked. And she couldn't seem to unlock it. It was rather irritating.

"Hermione Granger." she replied, taking his hand and giving it a firm shake. "Have we met before? You look terribly familiar." she made sure to add quickly. The handsome man shook his head. "No, definitely not. I'd be sure to remember such a pretty face. But I do ride the underground often if that's what you mean."

Hermione could feel her cheeks reddening by the minute. Had he said she had a pretty face? This was all too ridiculous. He was obviously just a smooth young man, probably got his way most of the time by the looks of it. She willed her cheeks to return to their normal color. She wouldn't allow herself to fall so easily. Especially for some random guy she met on the underground.

"What are you reading?" he asked her, pointing at her book and snapping her out of her thoughts. She looked at the cover awkwardly, as if she had forgotten the title. "Pride and Prejudice." she said shortly. He stared at her blankly. "It's a romance." she tried. He nodded. "Makes sense." he said. The way he said it upset her. As if he had her all figured out. As if he _knew_ her. And on top of that why did he have to sit in her spot? It was her spot. Didn't he know that? Somewhere far away the keeper of order in the universe was screaming. Maybe she just had OCD?

"Could I buy you a cup of coffee?" her heart nearly got stuck in her throat. Why did he want to have coffee with her? Why her of all people? Surely he had better options to choose from. She just wanted him to go away. Why couldn't he leave? Leave and get off of her spot. He should just stop talking to her. Doesn't he know she's not that kind of girl? He was so bold! Asking her for coffee when they'd only met just 2 minutes before. She would say no obviously. Definitely, actually. She would most definitely say no.

"I'd love some coffee." the words seemed to just slip out.


	3. Chapter 2-Out and About in London

"I'd love some coffee." the words had just fallen out of her mouth.

Too easily, in fact. There was definitely something about him that pulled at her. And it wasn't only the fact that he was handsome- she had seen plenty of handsome guys before- there was something _familiar_ in his face. Something that felt like home. Almost the way it felt when she talked to Ron or Harry. But that couldn't be it. She had been friends with those two for years. So what was it about this guy that felt so incredibly comfortable to her? It was almost as if they could curl up on a couch and laugh about old times...

Old times? She couldn't help but think. She had a tendency to over-think everything. The man who sat next to her on the subway smiled politely, awaiting for the next stop to arrive. She tried to pull her attention back to her book but couldn't as hard as she tried. The words that had appeared in her mind still bothered her. _Old times? _She didn't have any, at least not with this man, what was his name again? Draco Malfoy? What a bizarre name it was too. But then again she wasn't exactly a Jane Doe herself. Not that she minded. She had always liked her name. It made her rather unique and different and - oh lord how her mind could wander. Had it not been for the train lunging forward as it stopped who knows where her thoughts would've wandered to.

The train coming to such a terrible stop is something Draco was silently grateful for. It had caused Hermione to fall slightly on top of him and he was able to catch her in his arms quite easily. He chuckled lightly.

"Easy there, babydoll, at least let me buy you that coffee first."

Cue the dazzling grin.

Hermione cursed herself for blushing so furiously. But she concluded Draco had hardly time to notice her rosy cheeks as he grabbed her arm, pulling her up and off the subway through the massive crowd of people. She nearly dropped her book.

"There's this little shop that's fantastic. Best in London, you'll love it." he called back to her as they weaved through the maze of people struggling to get home. As they made it out onto the street she finally got a chance to catch her breath and shove her book in her bag. This man walked _fast._ At least fast enough to give her face a flustered expression. He wasn't very considerate. She hardly had enough time to tighten her long coat around herself (the wind really could be harsh this time of year). He continued to pull and pull even though they were clear of people and already on the sidewalk, heading in the direction of the café. He walked so briskly and with so much purpose that it seemed to her that arriving to this destination was a matter of life and death for him. Had she not been struggling to match his pace, she would have laughed.

Finally -and thankfully- they reached a crosswalk where they were forced to stop and wait for the light to change. She immediately noticed that he didn't drop his grip on her hand. If anything, he held her tighter, as if she were a balloon that would float away at a moments notice. How silly, she thought. If anything she'd be too heavy to float away. The cold in her feet was weighing her down even though she had boots on. She looked up at him. He looked down at her.

"I should probably let you know," she began, "I don't really drink coffee." she explained, rather embarrassed. Perhaps she should have brought this fact up before? For all her intellect she really could be plain _stupid_ sometimes.

"You've never tried this coffee before though." he said, brushing off her comment in one clean swoop. This bothered her. She didn't like coffee. Shouldn't it matter to him what she wanted?

The light turned green and they were off at Draco's pace once again. The thing about it was that while she was doing an odd skip to keep up with him, he was only walking. If one were to see him walking it would appear absolutely normal, not too fast or too slow. She couldn't tell if he just took large steps or just stepped quickly. But whatever the case she simply couldn't keep up.

"You misunderstand," she tried again, "I don't like coffee." she told him flatly.

"I don't like fish." he replied, only taking a moment to glance down at her small frame.

She scrunched up her features. That had nothing to do with anything at all.

Draco slowed his pace and Hermione figured they were getting close to their destination. "This is it." he said, motioning with his hand and guiding her towards the right. He jumped in front of her, releasing her hand so that he could hold the door open as she walked in.

Hermione entered the shop, followed closely by Draco, and was pleased when she noticed they also had a wide variety of teas to choose from.

"If you choose a table I'll order for us." he told her.

She nodded. "I'll just have the chamomile tea with some lavender." she told him, smiling politely.

He gave a curt nod and made his way to the cashier. Hermione found a table with two seats next to a window and decided this would be a good spot. It was still early in the spring- early enough to where people still wear their winter coats- but the coffee shop was deliciously warm. She peeled off her coat and hung it on the back of her chair, along with her purse. She sat there waiting, looking at Draco ordering their drinks and occasionally glancing out the window.

As Draco made his way towards the table she noticed two things: he was incredibly tall, much taller than her, and, that definitely _was not_ a chamomile tea with lavender in his hand.


	4. Chapter 3-Love in a Coffee Shop

Draco approached her with a wide grin on his face and placed a very tall, very large cup of coffee in front of her. This'll be great, he thought.

"This is not a chamomile with lavender." Hermione said, looking from the coffee to him. "It's not even hot coffee. What is this?"

"This, dear lady, is a caramel toffee crunch frappuccino topped with whipped cream."

"A what?" she scrunched up her features.

"Just try a sip." Draco told her, stabbing a straw into her drink.

"No, I really don't like coffee."

"Yes you do."

"No, I don't."

"Just try it."

She sipped the damn coffee. Dear lord it was delicious. But she couldn't admit it. How could she? She couldn't let him win this one.

"It's ok I guess. I'd prefer some tea." she said shortly, placing the frap down.

He chuckled deeply. "You like it." he concluded.

"Do not."

He smiled and shook his head, taking a sip from his own coffee.

"What made you get me a frappuccino? It's like ten degrees outside. Why would anyone want something cold?" She asked him from across the table. "Well you always drink frappuccinos." he almost said it. He almost completely and single handedly blew his own cover. Almost. It's a miracle the words didn't slip from his lips. "Well you look like someone who would like a caramel toffee crunch frappuccino." is what he did say.

She looked at him and took another sip of her delicious drink. "You have good intuition." she said conclusively. He smiled.

They talked. And talked. For what seemed like ages. The words were flowing from the both of them.

She learned a lot about him.

His full name was Draco Lucius Malfoy. From the age of 11 he went to a boarding school out on the outskirts of England. He studied there and was among the top of his class but the school was closed due to some sort of scandal. It reopened two years later and he was able to finish his studies. He was some sort of accountant these days. "I've always liked numbers." he explained. "They just make sense."

Draco couldn't stop looking at her. There was so much to her that remained the same. She still had that gleam in her eyes that projected innocence. She had kept her hair in the same short brown curls. She still had a love of reading. She was still friends with that bloody Potter and Weasley. Wasn't that just fine and dandy? Rather advantageous for them. Erase her memory but in a way where she still remembers those two.

It was bizarre to hear her life story. How they had altered her memories. Although parallels definitely existed. Just as in Hogwarts she had been best friends with Harry and Ron. She had been top of her class. She admitted herself she was a bit of a teacher's pet. Her curiosity got the best of her most of the time, especially with her two friends involved. They were always getting into trouble.

"But I don't see them as much anymore," she explained, "They both got some sort of government job on the other side of the country. Really important secret stuff." she laughed to herself. But it was a sad sort of laugh.

_Right,_ Draco thought, _the 'other side'._

"Well, I'm sure you miss them." he said. "Oh I do. Quite terribly." she said solemnly as she swirled her coffee around. It was then that Draco noticed the scar on her left arm. He had almost forgotten that. He would have missed it completely had she not rolled up her sleeves. Thoughts swirled around him. It was getting rather stuffy in that coffee shop. "How did you get that scar?" he asked her, pointing to her left arm. As the words fell from his mouth the sharp memory of pain entered her mind, causing her to grimace. "That was a long time ago," she said, unconsciously rubbing her arm. Draco motioned for her to continue. "I was little, and I was on the swings. I guess I had taken the swing that belonged to this very mean girl. She was about two grades older than me. I really actually don't remember it too well but I guess my arm ended up being scraped across the concrete." she shook her head as if to shake away the memory. Most of her stories ended up this way. She didn't remember much of her past at all.

"I have one too." Draco told her.

"What?"

"A scar, on my left arm." he said, bringing his arm up to rest on the table and rolling up his own sleeve.

And indeed he did. A rather nasty one too, going up from his wrist to the elbow.

"How did you manage that?" she asked, nearly gaping.

"Tattoo removal." he said easily.

She looked at him doubtfully. "Must've been one hell of a tattoo." she said, then, after a while added, "What of?"

"A skull. With a snake or something. I don't really remember." he said.

"That doesn't sound much like you." she told him.

"That's why I got it removed." He explained, and with one long gulp finished off his drink.

And so their chat continued. Mostly frivolous things. Birthday, favorite food, things of their past (although Hermione was rather quiet about her past) and favorite colors. His was green and hers was red.

"Together they make christmas!" she said, laughing.

"Indeed they do." Draco grinned. "I've always loved Christmas." she told him. She loved everything about it- the songs, the decorations, that happiness that came with the season. Most of all were the twinkling lights that hung from every house. "That's one of the few clear memories I have," she explained, "And I'm not even sure if it's real. It might've just been a dream." she said awkwardly.

"Would you mind telling me?" he asked.

She bit her lip. "Well, like I said, it could've been a dream," she began, "but I guess my family and I were on vacation because I was staying in this castle sort of hotel. They had the largest Christmas tree I'd ever seen in my life. And there was snow everywhere, it was absolutely beautiful. There were all sorts of people there, dressed in all sorts of strange things, probably trying to keep warm. And it was almost as if presents were literally flying around the room." she said, a little embarrassed, "It's strange because the memory is rather foggy but I have a clear image of that tree and of being ridiculously happy." she told him.

Something clicked in Draco. So there were rough patches. Cracks in her mind where little rays of her real life shined through. Maybe he could get her her memory back. She had definitely just described Hogwarts. Probably must've been her first year. Draco remembered it clearly. In the middle of the great hall stood an outstandingly large Christmas tree decorated to the highest degree. It had snowed more than usual that year.

"Well I definitely think it's a real memory." he informed her.

"What makes you say that?" she asked.

"No one's that creative." he said, flashing his smirk at her.

He leaned in suddenly, capturing her full attention. "If I ask you something would you reply honestly?" he said in a rather hushed tone.

"Um, I'll try my best," she was a little startled by his sudden change in emotion.

Draco eyed her carefully then checked to make sure no one was looking at them. He leaned in even closer and looked her dead in the face. He exhaled sharply and asked his question.

"Do you believe in magic?"


	5. Chapter 4- Of Magic and Wands

_"Do you believe in magic?"_

The question seemed so absurd to her that it actually caused her to laugh out loud in amusement. "You can't really be asking me that?" she said, giggling to herself but stopped when she noticed the seriousness in Draco's eyes. "You're serious?" she said, lowering her voice and raising her eyebrows in astonishment.

"Why wouldn't I be?" he sounded almost offended.

"Well we're not exactly children are we?" she tried. Was this guy serious?

"So is that a no?" he asked, shooting her a doubtful look.

She couldn't bring herself to look at him. She felt as if he might walk away if she said no. As much as she hated the arrogance of this man she didn't want him to leave. He still carried with him that air of familiarity, which could get quite addicting. "Well, define magic," she said, "Do you mean the tricks and the abra cadabra type of thing?" she chose her words carefully.

"No," he chuckled, "None of that nonsense. I mean real magic."

"Like what?"

"Like witches and wizards and potions and spells and wands."

She sat silent for a moment. She recalled always wanting to believe in magic when she was younger. The thought of having a spell to clean up her room would've been nice. But that was all child's play. Magic didn't really exist. It wasn't logical. Nearly everything could be explained through science these days anyways. To think otherwise would be foolish. And yet there was something about the way he said the word 'magic' that made her want to believe. Like he might whisk her away into a new and fantastic world. She wanted to believe. Maybe for a few moments, sitting in that café with Draco, maybe she did. If only for a while.

"What if I said yes?" she asked him.

He smiled wide. "I guess I'd say we have something in common." She giggled lightly. "You're not a witch are you?" she asked. Again, he gave that look that looked almost offended. "I'm a man. Witches are women. Wizards are the men." he informed her. "Oh," she said, correcting herself.

How he wished to use occlumency on her. It'd be so simple. Just dive into her mind, find the cracks, a trigger, _something_ that would allow her to remember. He'd be in and out of her memories in a matter of seconds. He was quite a pro when it came to these things afterall. But he had promised himself he would not invade her privacy. Besides, no magic. She was technically a muggle as of now. Or at least she thought she was a muggle. He smiled at the thought. She probably wouldn't even recognize the word muggle if he said it.

"Are you saying you're a wizard?" she asked shyly, pulling him back into the conversation. He looked at her. She looked so naive then, quiet and innocent and curious.

"I'm not saying I'm not." he said with a teasing smile. She laughed out loud, then covered her mouth in embarrassment. But she then quickly leaned into the table. He knew he had caught her interest. "Where's your wand?" her voice was full of intrigue. "Well I can't very well be waving it around all the time, people would get rather suspicious you know," he told her, "but it's always on my person."

"Always?"

"Always."

"Where do you keep it?" her eyes were wide with curiosity. Draco looked around the coffee shop suspiciously before leaning in across the table close to her face. "I can't tell you." he whispered. She cocked her head to the side. "Why not?" she asked. Draco leaned back casually in his chair. "Too many witnesses." he decided.

"Oh like they'd hear you." Hermione scoffed.

"You'd be surprised." Draco insisted. "But tell me, if you had a wand what do you think it would look like?" he asked her.

She thought a moment. What would her wand look like? If she had one that is. Probably nothing out of the ordinary. Wands are just wooden sticks after all. Nothing special to them. That is, in theory. If she were a witch, because she wasn't, because that was all just fantasy and imagination. And this is not to say that she believed strange blonde man when he said he was a wizard. But there was no harm in pretending. It led to good and stimulating conversation. She thought some more. If she were to have a wand, it'd probably resemble her, right? Just like how dogs kind of look like their owners?

"I'd imagine it to be rather plain." she said finally.

Draco sat up, looking confused. It was quite the opposite. He thought perhaps mentioning her wand could have sparked her memory. Hermione's wand was actually one of the more intricate. The carving on the wood was impressive. It had vines with leaves twisting around the base and up into the middle. If anything, the person with the plain wand would be him.

"What makes you say that?" he asked her.

"Well, I'm rather plain. I would think my wand to be the same way." she explained, blushing for reasons unknown to her.

Draco thought for a long moment, sitting back in his chair. He had promised himself would not use magic on her. But that didn't mean he couldn't _show_ her magic. A mischievous smirk spread across his lips.


	6. Chapter 5- The Trouble with Magic

Draco asked her if she cared for anything else to drink. Upon her saying no he found it time to leave. He picked up their empty cups and threw them away. "Would you care to go for a stroll?" he asked her, nervously glancing out the window, noticing it was late afternoon. Hermione glanced at her watch, also noticing the lateness of the hour. She looked up at him suddenly. He thought she'd surely say no, that she was tired of his nonsense. What she said surprised him.

"Only if you prove to me you're a wizard." she challenged.

Draco could only stare at her. She really hadn't changed at all. Still had that fiery spirit about her. She was a Gryffindor if he ever did see one. It couldn't help but give him hope. Maybe if he did a few quick spells in front of her she might remember _something. _

The thing that was most frustrating was that she didn't remember _anything._ Nothing except that blasted Potter and Weasley. Why didn't she remember him? Perhaps they hadn't gotten off on the right foot when they first arrived at Hogwarts- no, scratch that, he knew they hadn't gotten off on the right foot. Draco would be the first to admit that he had been nasty with her. But things began to change. Nothing too dramatic but they had definitely changed. He would dare to say that they even changed for the better.

Draco definitely remembered. The images were clear in his brain. They tormented him. After all the vile things he said to her, she remained compassionate, understanding. Especially the years right before the war...

_"He's not worth it, if it's Ron you're crying over."_

_"Oh shove it Malfoy!" she burst into tears once again and sat on the very bottom step._

_"I'm just saying. Even **you** could do better." she stared at him with such hatred then he thought she might burn a hole through his skull._

_"Just go away, Draco." she said quietly, shrinking smaller and smaller._

_"Avis." he whispered, allowing the beautiful flock of birds to surround her. With that he left. _

But that was all such a long time ago. And as of now it didn't matter because she didn't remember. She _couldn't _remember.

"Fine," he said, agreeing to her conditions. He led the way out of the coffee shop, holding the door for her as they exited. "Do you walk often?" he asked her. "Not really," she said, "I'm usually on the underground." she smiled awkwardly. "I enjoy long walks." Draco said, his hands behind his back, "They help me think." She nodded understandingly.

They walked without any real direction or purpose but before they knew it, they were at the edge of town. "There's a park around here." Hermione said out of the blue. "Is there really?" Draco looked down at her. "Yes," she said pointing, "About two blocks down." Draco stopped walking suddenly. "What's wrong?" Hermione asked, spinning around. "I'll race you." he said. And before she even had a chance to say 'what?' he took off at a mad sprint.

Hermione then took off too, almost unaware of the quickness her feet had reacted with. By the time she finally managed to reach him, he was lying underneath a giant tree, hands on his face, breathing deeply trying to catch his breath. Hermione gave a loud laugh and collapsed next to him, their chests rising and falling in unison.

Hermione was in heaven. She was tired and annoyed and had drank coffee instead of tea and let some strange man convince her he was a wizard but none of it seemed to matter. There was something _magical _about it all. Magical and fantastic and just fun. It was the most fun she'd had in a while. She'd hate to admit it but ever since Ron and Harry left for work she had been terribly lonely. She had no siblings. Hardly any friends that she truly enjoyed spending time with. And then out of nowhere comes this Draco Malfoy. And in a matter of hours he does everything she could hate in a person and for some reason it just works. So she allowed herself to lay there, letting the wind kiss her face in the empty park.

"Are you really a wizard?" she said, once she had caught her breath. They both had their hands on their chest, staring up at the sky.

"Yes." he said, without looking at her.

She propped herself up on her elbow to face him and extended her left pinky. "Pinky promise?"

He looked at her, propping himself up as well so that he could seal the agreement. "Pinky promise." he said, linking their fingers together. She smiled. "Well, now that a promise had been made I believe I'm required to show you some magic." Draco stated. Hope filled Hermione's wide child-like eyes.

Draco stood up. This should definitely trigger something. Open up another ray of light into her real memories. He reached into his boots and pulled out his wand. As he did so, Hermione's eyes got even wider. It was quite amusing. "You were serious?" Hermione said in a hushed voice. "Why wouldn't I be?" Draco's face reflected his disbelief in her. "Anyways, this is my wand." he said, holding it out for her to see. "Now watch carefully." he instructed. She nodded.

Draco aimed his wand at a fallen leaf. "Are you watching?" he asked. "Yes, of course." earnest lingered in her voice. "Wingardium Leviosa." he felt rather foolish saying the words. Not only was this a basic spell, but Draco was quiet advanced in silent magic. But this was for Hermione's benefit. With the proper swish and flick of his wand the leaf began to levitate before their eyes.

Hermione stared at him in shock. "How are you doing that?" He rolled his eyes. "I already told you." he said, letting the leaf fall back to the ground. "Would you like to try?" he asked her, holding the wand out. Hermione stood frozen. "Oh, no I couldn't. I'm not- I mean I can't- I'm just me." she babbled. Draco gave a slight smile and shook his head. "That should be good enough." he insisted. Hermione lowered her head, and took the wand from his hands.

The moment she touched the wand it was like there was a giant lightning rod that shook her entire body, causing her to drop the wand, allowing it to fall the floor. Her hands went up to her head to try and stop the throbbing. She would've fallen with the wand had Draco not caught her. "Are you ok?" he said, but his voice was muffled and her vision was blurry.

Everything went black.


	7. Chapter 6- Strange Dreams and Old Foes

Hermione awoke in her own house with a terrible headache. She had also had the strangest dreams. She dreamt that she was a witch along with Draco, Harry and Ron. They all went to the same school and Ron was simply terrible at spells so she was forced to help him. They wore the most bizarre of clothes and had the most peculiar teachers. But, like all dreams, everything was muddled and confusing.

Had she accepted them as a memory? No. Not in the slightest. Only as a strange dream. But the wand had allowed another crack to be chiseled in. Draco's tricks were working. Slowly, yes, but they were working.

Hermione sat up slowly, realizing that she was in her own room. How had she gotten there? How long had she been out? Just then, Draco entered, holding a cup of tea. "Oh, thank goodness you're awake." he said, placing the cup on her night table and sitting at the edge of the bed. "I hope it wasn't too much of a shock." he said. The terribly confused and scared look on Hermione's face told Draco the wand wasn't a strong enough trigger to recover all of her lost memories. "How did we get here?" she asked, taking a sip of the tea. It made her head feel better. "Well, you knocked out cold so I called a cab. Had to check your license for an address. I hope you don't mind. I would've taken you to my apartment but I didn't think that proper." He explained.

Except that wasn't what happened at all.

Draco had panicked. Which is something he generally doesn't do. She had nearly fallen to the ground and his instincts worked faster than his thoughts would have allowed. Her lunged forward to catch her. Without missing a beat he picked up the wand and apparated to her apartment. He layed her across the bed, constantly making sure she was still alive. He would pace, open the door, make sure she was still breathing, pace again. It was one hell of an hour.

"I'm sorry to have put you through all this." she said quietly. He shook his head. "No harm done. If anything I should be apologizing." he said. They sat, reflecting for a while. The silence was broken by the echoing sound of Moonlight Sonata playing. Hermione's cheeks flushed. "That's my phone," she said, "Could you hand me my purse?" she asked Draco. He got up and handed her her bag. Muggles and their strange contraptions, he thought.

She dug through her purse and finally pulled out her cell phone. "Hello?" she said, bringing it up to her ear. "Oh, hello Ron." Hermione said with a sheepish smile. The name alone was enough to make Draco's blood boil. They didn't seem to talk much. A few 'yes's' and 'nos' and a 'ok see you then' from Hermione and the conversation was over. "That was Ron." she explained, with that same sheepish smile. Draco only nodded.

"But nevermind that," she said, shaking her head. "You must tell me how you managed that." her voice grew excited. "I think you've had enough excitement for one day." he said, "Would you care for more tea?"

Hermione looked down at her cup. "Oh, no no, it's quite alright. But you simply must tell me." she insisted.

"Perhaps another day." he told her.

"Then at least stay for dinner?" she said, "Ron and Harry will be dropping by, I'd love for you to meet them."

Draco couldn't help the chuckle that escaped from his mouth. "I don't think that to be a good idea." he said, "In fact, I should be leaving now anyway." She reached for and grabbed his arm. "Please? It won't take too long." she tried. Draco was forced to oblige. Although running into his old foes would end up being quite a show. But at the same time, perhaps that would be enough to spark a memory or two. Then again Ron might curse him then and there. His temper was as hot as his hair. Draco thought a long moment.

"Oh my gosh." Hermione perked up suddenly. "Oh my goodness I'm so sorry. It's been such a long day, you probably just want to go home. You've done enough already." She said, motioning at her current state.

Draco shook his head as if what she had just said was nonsense. "No, it's quite alright. I'd love to stay for dinner." he told her. "Really?" her eyes shined. He nodded.

* * *

Draco sat uncomfortably in Hermione's living room. She was getting ready in the bathroom and he was to answer the door should it ring. His fingers nervously twirled in his lap. Harry was bringing chinese over. Apparently Hermione's preferred choice of cuisine. The doorbell rang and Draco's heart stopped. "Can you get that?" Hermione called, "I'll be out in a bit!" Draco's heart was pounding in his ears. This could end quite badly for him.

He opened the door.

"What in the bloody fu-"

"Hello gentlemen, I'm Draco Malfoy." he intervened Ron's ghastly comment.

"Ron! Harry!" Hermione said from behind Draco.

Harry pushed past the door with the chinese food in hand. "Hello, Mione. We brought dinner." Harry said, rather awkwardly. Ron wouldn't stop giving Draco the death stare so Draco turned to look at Hermione. She had just exchanged a hug with Harry. She had gotten all dolled up. Certainly not for the Weasel?

"So Harry, Ron, this is Draco, we met on the subway." she said, smiling.

Harry looked from Hermione to Draco and seemed dreadfully confused. "Oh, right," he said, clearing his throat, "Pleasure to meet you." he extended his hand. Draco took it and gave it a firm shake."Hi." Ron said shortly.

"Harry, why don't you come help me set up in the kitchen and you two can get to know each other better." Hermione was bubbly all around. Once they were out of ear shot Ron finally decided to speak.

"What are you playing at Malfoy?"

"I don't know what you're talking about Weasley."

"Like hell you don't know." Ron said, trying to keep his voice low. They could hear Hermione laughing in the kitchen.

"Jealous much?" Draco said, lifting an eyebrow.

Ron pulled Draco by the collar of his shirt. "If you do anything to hurt her I swear to god I will personally shove a dementor down your throat."

"If it's a fist fight you want Ronald then I'm sure you're aware I can smash your skull in with my bare hands." Draco said, shaking him off.

"Is that a threat?"

"What do you think?"

"You stay away from her! Do you understand Malfoy? You never cared for us anyway."

"I never cared for _you._ Her is a different story."

"Oh please, don't make me laugh."

"Your memory fails you Weasley. Much like Granger's."

"Don't you dare bring that up. You've ruined her life enough as it is."

"I've ruined her life?"

"OK! Dinner is all set!" Harry said rather loudly. Really was unnecessary.


	8. Chapter 7- Dinner

Harry rang the doorbell, feeling rather chipper.

"I can't wait to see her." Ron said. Harry nodded. "Yes, it has been a while."

What happened next was a bit of a shock to the both of them. Before them in the doorway stood Draco Malfoy. _This is not going to end well._ Harry thought as a million other thoughts whizzed past in his brain.

"What the fu-"

"Hello gentlemen, I'm Draco Malfoy."

"Ron! Harry!" they heard Hermione call from behind Draco.

Harry decided it best to get to Hermione as soon as possible. He quickly pushed through, trying to break the tension between Ron and Draco, making big sweeping motions with the bag of Chinese food as he made his way to Hermione's side.

"Hello, Mione. We brought dinner." he said, although the words tasted foreign in his mouth. He greeted Hermione with a hug.

"Harry, Ron, this is Draco. We met on the subway." she was smiling broadly, Harry noticed. Although he was rather confused. Why on earth would Draco Malfoy of all people end up in Hermione's apartment. And Hermione was allowing it! Would've been amusing to anyone who knew them. So why was he here? Especially now. But nevermind that; Hermione was looking at him expectantly.

"Oh right," Harry had to clear his throat, "Pleasure to meet you." Draco had a firm handshake. Not menacing by any means but definitely suggestive. The man was bloody strong. "Hi." Ron didn't even make an attempt to shake his hand.

"Harry, why don't you come help me set up in the kitchen and you two can get to know each other better." Hermione was incredibly bubbly. It was out of character almost. Harry nodded and followed her. He could feel the tension between Ron and Draco. He was happy to get away.

"So," Harry began, the awkwardness was leaking out of his voice. "This Draco character, how did you come by him?"

"Oh, well we ride the subway together. And today, he asked me out for coffee. And get this, I _liked_ it. It's rather delicious although don't tell him I said that." she gave a giggle. "Right." Harry said, pulling plates out of the cabinet. Hermione turned to face him suddenly. "You don't like him." she stated. A million thoughts swam rapidly through Harry's head.

It wasn't that he didn't necessarily _like_ the ferret. He had come after the war to help restore Hogwarts after all. But he had always been so vile. So much so that at times Harry had questioned whether there was any good left in him at all. He had never been kind to Ron or Hermione or himself. Hermione had even punched him once. He almost laughed at the thought, a smile creeping upon his lips. But could it be that Draco was having a turnaround? Doubtful. He wanted something. Something that he could get through Hermione. That's how vile he was. Using a woman with opaque memories. He wondered what Ron was talking to Draco about. He hoped Hermione couldn't hear the loud whispers coming from the other room. It was sure to get really nasty really fast.

But then again, perhaps not. Perhaps Draco wanted to change. If he did Harry would be more than willing to help. Draco did have some fleeting glimmers of hope during school. Those Harry remembered well.

"No, no, he seems nice." Harry told her.

Hermione gave a wide smile. "You think so?"

"Yes." he assured her.

There was the time when the Death Eater riots happened at the Quidditch World Cup. Fire and smoke were ablaze, chaos everywhere. Draco had run into Harry, probably trying to run him into the ground. Ron nearly punched him then and there.

_"Get the mudblood out of here." _Draco had warned, so very long ago.

_"What?"_

But he had left by then.

And then there was the time when the trio had been caught by snatchers and sent to the Manor. Draco was reluctant to give away their identities. And he hadn't exactly fought back. But he had allowed Hermione to be tortured. Harry shook the thoughts from his mind. Draco being here was definitely a bad thing, but Hermione seemed to be enjoying the company so he would try to be on his best behavior, at least for Hermione's benefit. Perhaps it was from the guilt he felt of just leaving her here, all alone, while him and Ron worked for the Ministry.

"Ok! Dinner is all set!" he called out.

The four of them sat at Hermione's small table, silently passing the food around. Harry noticed Draco had hardly touched his food. "Did you get new curtains, Hermione?" Harry tried. Hermione had just shoved a forkful of chow mein into her mouth so it took a while for her to reply. "Yes, actually. A few weeks ago." she said, smiling.

"So, Mr. Malfoy," Ron said rather rudely, "What is it exactly you _do_?"

"I'm an accountant." Draco said shortly, clearing his throat.

"Really." Ron stated.

"Yes." Draco said.

You could have cut the tension with a knife.

"He likes numbers." Hermione added in a chipper tone.

"He doesn't look like the type." Ron said suspiciously.

"And what is it exactly you do Mr. Weasel? I hear you work on the _other side_, is that it?" Draco jabbed.

"It's _Weasley_ you incompetent ferret and yes, I work on the other side _of the country."_

"Ronald!" Hermione could hardly believe his outburst. He had no right to be calling the poor man a ferret.

"It's quite alright," Draco said, wiping his mouth with a napkin. "I wouldn't expect someone of your class to have manners."

Ron got up.

Made his way to Draco.

And punched him in the face.


	9. Chapter 8- Trigger Word

**A/N: Hello everyone! First of all, sorry it took so long to update! AP English is relentless. Secondly, thank you so much to everyone who has been commenting and reading. We made it to over 1000 views! :D I really didn't think this would grab too much attention so sincerely thanks and keep reading!**

**-Mrs. Malfoy**

* * *

Hermione let out a sharp gasp.

"Ronald!" Was all she could manage to say.

"How dare you?! You filthy mudblood!" Draco spat, rubbing his cheek.

_Mudblood._

The word pounded into her head like hammer. She nearly fell to the floor. She could no longer hear what was happening around her.

_Mudblood._

She fell to her knees, head in hands. It was as if someone had smacked her head with a 2x4. The pain became almost too much to bear. Her vision blurred.

_Mudblood._

A young, blonde haired boy with a broom, his face full of malice. Ron throwing up slugs behind her. Tears filling her eyes.

_Mudblood._

A curly haired woman, pinning her to the ground. Carving the word into her arm. Blood seeping slowly from the wound. The cruciatus curse. Malfoy Manor.

_Mudblood._

The war. Death. Flying in a dizzying out of control rush. The cold realization of all the people that had died. And then...blackness.

* * *

Hermione fell to the floor with her hands wrapped tightly around her head. She gave a strangled whimper, as if she were in pain, and lay on the floor, completely motionless.

Ron, Draco, and Harry stood nearly as motionless as she, waiting for something to happen. But nothing did. "What did you do Malfoy?" Ron spat out. "What did I do? You're the one who punched me in the face!" Harry stood, ignoring the bickering. All he could do was stare at his friend. "What have we done?" he said quietly, his hand covering his mouth. He didn't think the other two had heard him, but they did. The two stood quiet, staring at Harry.

Draco reached down and picked her up. "Don't you dare touch her!" Ron was boiling. "Well I'm not very well going to leave her on the ground like a dead corpse." Draco replied rather calmly. "He's right." Harry added, somewhat ashamed of not acting sooner on his friend's behalf. Ron stood back, somewhat startled at Harry's comment, but didn't interfere as Draco carried Hermione into her bedroom. They both did, however, follow him.

"Well that's twice in one day." Draco said, putting her down gently on the bed. "What?" Ron couldn't control his emotions. "You mean she's blacked out before?" Harry tried. Was Draco going to have to explain everything? He really didn't want to. And knowing these two he'd have to slowly spell out ever single detail for them. "Yes." he said rather shortly. Harry and Ron looked at him expectantly. _Oh now they shut their mouths._ Draco thought. "Well not here," he argued, "First we take care of her." he nodded at Hermione.

For once the three boys agreed. They walked silently out of the the room, making sure to leave the door open, just in case. Draco sat in the chair closest to the fireplace, and the two boys across from him on the couch. "So," Draco started, "Basically she'll be like this for a while." "What do you mean?" Ron said through gritted teeth. "There's a lot of complications, it's hard to explain," Draco said lazily. Ron stood up, with intentions to punch him again, but Harry pulled him down. "Do your best please Malfoy. And we'll do ours to understand." Harry added.

Draco sighed. "Very well," he said, leaning back on the couch. "When you replaced her memories, you didn't erase the real ones. They're still there. Only they're hidden, locked away." Harry nodded. "We did that with good reason, Malfoy." Ron shot at him. Draco ignored the comment. "What I was trying to do was get them back for her." "Why?" Harry interrupted. "That doesn't concern you." Draco informed him. "I think it does." Ron said, staring with a hard expression. Again, Draco decided to ignore them. "Anyways, it's actually very simple to recover someone's memories. All you need is the right trigger. And it would appear that hers is the word 'mudblood.' Rather curious actually." Draco explained.

"So if that's her trigger word, what then? Why is she out cold?" Draco couldn't help but roll his eyes. Harry had always been so full of idiotic questions. "If you would let me finish my bloody story maybe I could answer that for you." Ron's hands were still in fists, Draco noticed, but didn't think much of it. Right now his primary concern was Hermione.

"If it was indeed her trigger word then she could be out for up to 2 weeks. One if we're lucky." "Two weeks!?" Ron shouted. "She'll be dreaming back her memories. It's a recovery process. Considering she has her entire life to make up two weeks doesn't sound too bad. But if mudblood is not her trigger word, then it should only be a few hours." "You said this happened before." Harry said. Draco nodded. "I tried earlier by showing her my wand. She was out for a bit. But most women tend to do that when they see it." Draco gave a playful smirk. Ron's eyes flashed with red. Even Harry looked offended. Draco gave a deep and dramatic sigh. "Joke gentlemen, I was joking. The point is, the wand wasn't enough to spark her memory."

"Why do you want her to have her memory back?" Ron asked. "She has something of mine," Draco informed him, "and I need it back." "You're a selfish prick." Ron told him. "And you're poor." Draco retaliated.

"So then," Harry began, but paused. He shook his head, thinking. "What do we do?" He looked to Draco for an answer.

"Right now? We wait."


	10. Chapter 9- Sleeping Beauty

Meanwhile Hermione slept. Dreaming all the while. She was like sleeping beauty. Resting silently, slowly recuperating her life. One memory seemed to stick out in particular. Her mind continued to play it over and over.

* * *

_She was running through the rubble and fallen stones, dodging spells. Someone pulled her into a corner, behind a fallen column. They had placed their hand over her mouth so she couldn't scream. When she looked at the face of her captor, she found it was Draco. "Listen to me, they're going to try and take your memory. Without you the other two are weak." She felt a little appalled at the fact that he couldn't even say Ron and Harry's names. "If I let go will you scream?" he asked. She shook her head. He let his hand go slowly. "What do you care if they take my memory?" she spat in a hushed whisper. "I don't you ungrateful little wench." he spat right back, turning to leave. "Draco wait," she said catching his arm. He turned to look at her, lifting his eyebrow. "Thank you." she said. He nodded. "I knew there was good in you." she told him. "I wouldn't go that far Granger," he said, "Just don't get caught." _

_She thought a moment. "If I do?" she asked._

_Why wouldn't she leave? Draco thought. "You'll never get them back." _

_"Harry and Ron would bring back my memory." she said confidently._

_"I wouldn't be so sure." he told her. She looked at his face. She could tell he wasn't lying. For once in his life Draco Malfoy was being sincere. Hermione panicked. "Then you have to do it." she told him. His eyes grew wide. "I don't owe you anything." he said, rather nervously. "No, you don't but I'd definitely owe you." A spark flew their way, just barely missing them. Draco pulled her closer into the corner. "We don't have much time." he stated. "Draco, please. Don't think about who our parents are. Just look at me as a person. I need your help." _

_Draco thought fast. He really could hardly believe what he was doing. Helping the mudblood. His ancestors were probably rolling over in their graves. But he couldn't help it. He wouldn't be able to live with himself if something happened to her. Because as strange as it was he did have feelings. He didn't want to have feelings. It made being a Death Eater rather difficult. But as hard as he tried she was always on his mind. And right now, being this close to her, he only wanted to kiss her. She'd forget it soon enough anyways. After all, he had been the one instructed to erase the poor girl's memory. _

_So why warn her before? That he didn't exactly have an answer to. He felt he owed her at least that much. Then again, if he was going to erase them, why bring them back later? That he did have an answer to. Though he would never admit it, he did care for her. They were intellectual equals and actually had very similar personalities. The only difference is he had been forced to follow the dark lord. And unfortunately, the dark lord had presented him with the task of erasing her memory. A terrible fate, actually. He wouldn't wish it on anyone, especially her. To lose one's memory was to lose one's identity._

_It seemed only fair if he were to take them away, he'd have to be the one to get them back. _

_He thought a long while. "If you're to get them back you need some sort of object. Like an anchor. To keep your memories from flying away." he said quickly. Her hand went up to her necklace. Draco shook his head. "No, it can't be on your person." he spoke hastily. "Then give me that." she pointed to his Slytherin House ring. He ripped it off his ringer and she added it to her necklace, tucking it in her shirt for safe keeping. "Promise me you'll get me my memory back." she told him. "I will." he said. "How can you be sure Harry and Ron won't fight for me?" she asked. "Because it's a painful process. They won't want that for you." She nodded in agreement. _

_What happened next surprised the both of them. She got up on her tippie toes and pecked him on the lips. "Thank you Draco." He pushed her. This **stupid** girl. She ruined everything. How would he be able to do it now? "Please don't think badly of me," he began, but she interrupted him. "How could I? There's good in you." she said, crouching down next to the wall, about to make a run to the other side of the building. "Granger." he said, and she twisted around. _

_He lifted his wand. "Obliviate."_

* * *

Ron paced back and forth much like Draco had done earlier. The other two sat motionless on the couch, waiting. Ron couldn't help but move. He didn't understand how Draco and Harry could be so still. Ron's nerves were an absolute wreck. What if something happened to her? What if something went wrong during the recovery process? It would all be his fault. He was the one who made the final decision after all.

Draco didn't like the fact that Ron continued to walk in and out of the bedroom, constantly checking in on Hermione. As if she would spontaneously awake in his presence.

Ron finally sat down. "It's all my fault." Ron said, hanging his head. "No, it's not." Harry said. "No, no, let him speak." Draco insisted. "I'm the one who made the final call. I wanted her to forget. I didn't want her to remember all of those terrible things." he paused, "I wanted her to have a better life than that." he justified.

"You really don't get it do you?" Draco sneered. Harry looked up at him questioningly.

"I thought you two were supposed to _know_ her. You spared her from a few bad moments but at what cost? Replacing everything with lies? I can't help but think she wouldn't have wanted that."

"We did what we thought was best." Harry argued.

"Well you thought wrong." Draco said.

"You're one to talk!" Ron snapped, "It's your people who took it from her in the first place. I'm sorry Malfoy but can you lift up your sleeve for me? You were a Death Eater if I remember correctly."

"We can argue all we want but that isn't going to help Hermione when she wakes up." Harry yelled.

"Fine, but I hope you had fun, Malfoy, because your time is up. The moment she wakes up and remembers the little piece of crap you are, don't feel offended if I kick you out the door."

"And don't be offended if it works the other way around, Weasel." Draco shot right back.

Draco couldn't help but feel nervous. What if Hermione woke up and hated him again? Then things would go back to normal, he thought. But he couldn't exactly complain when she smiled in his direction. He had been enjoying the company...

Ron couldn't help but be envious. It was in his nature. What was he when compared to Draco Malfoy? Solely in a matter of looks of course. For god sakes just look at the bastard. The perfect hair, the build of a seeker, the bloody smirk he always carried. If nothing else the prick was a confident one. And that was something Ronald Weasley most definitely lacked. Surely everything would return to as it once was? Perhaps not. Ron could justify his reasoning all he wanted but his true motives to erasing Hermione's memories were completely and absolutely selfish in their entirety. He thought the elimination of the memory of his ruse with Lavender would set things right. Things hadn't exactly been the same between Hermione and Ron since that fiasco. He had noticed that she didn't disclose as much information to him as she used to. Most of it he had to hear through Harry. They were still friends of course, but she had grown more distant. And he had been the one to push her away. Would he really lose Hermione to the infamous Draco Malfoy?

**A/N: Hello! Typed this one up kind of fast so let me know of any errors. Keep it up with the comments and thanks for reading :D**


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